Creative Problem Solving begins when knowledge and simply thinking about a problem fails. According to the book, The Creative Spirit, creative breakthroughs often follow extensive, even exhaustive efforts, to solve the problem resulting in frustration. Insight often occurs when one turns away from the problem, anecdotal evidence often recounting instances where inspiration arrived in a dream or other altered state when the problem was not the focus of attention. Knowledge is information of which a person, organization or other entity is aware. ... Thought or thinking is a mental process which allows beings to model the world, and so to deal with it effectively according to their goals, plans, ends and desires. ... Creativity (or creativeness) is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations between existing ideas or concepts. ... Anecdotal evidence is an informal account of evidence in the form of an anecdote, or hearsay. ...

One of the most famous anecdotes is of the chemist Friedrich Kekulé discovering the structure of the benzene ring while relaxing and gazing into his fireplace. Kekulé von Stradonitz Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz (September 7, 1829 – July 13, 1896) was a German organic chemist. ... Benzene, C6H6, PhH, or benzol is a colorless and flammable liquid with a pleasant, sweet smell. ...

Creative solutions are often quite tentative at first; they need to be encouraged, evaluated and tested. Whether they will be depends much on the ambient environment the problem solver is operating in. Established, large, rule-bound organizations do not favor innovation, in fact, may punish it. Creativity is more likely to thrive in smaller, startups that encourage innovation. (1) Startup (or start-up, aka System startup) refers to the short period of time, or system state a computer is in, immediately after switching it on. ...

Edward de Bono has in a number of written works explored creative thinking, advancing a theory he calls lateral thinking. Edward de Bono (born May 19, 1933) is a psychologist and physician. ... Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist, physician, and writer, although it may have been an idea whose time was ready; the notion of lateral truth is discussed by Robert M. Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance from the same era...

Genrich Altshuller et al. believed that creative solutions may be examined by scientific methods. After over 200,000 patents analysed, he developed a Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TIPS, more commonly known as TRIZ). Besides a strong Laws of Technical Systems Evolution he has developed an Algorithm of Inventive Problem Solving, which had become a practical outcome of the theory. The algorithm (known as ARIZ) is a set of steps for problem solving. The ARIZ text includes multiple rules, notes and examples, it is supported by information funds -- Table of contradictions and inventive principles; Set of Standard solutions; Effects (physics, chemistry, geometry, etc.) databases. Special operators help to overcome psychological inertia on the way to solution. Image:Altshuller Genrih. ... Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ... TRIZ, (pronounced [triz]), is a Russian acronym for Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch (Теория решения изобретательских задач), a Theory of solving inventive problems or Theory of inventive problems solving (TIPS) (less known as Theory of Solving Inventors Problems), developed by Genrich Altshuller and his colleagues since 1946. ... ARIZ - (russ. ...

See also

• Creativity
• Creativity techniques
• Problem solving
• TRIZ
• Lateral thinking

Creativity (or creativeness) is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations between existing ideas or concepts. ... Creativity techniques are heuristic methods to facilitate creativity in a person or a group of people. ... Problem solving forms part of thinking. ... TRIZ, (pronounced [triz]), is a Russian acronym for Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch (Теория решения изобретательских задач), a Theory of solving inventive problems or Theory of inventive problems solving (TIPS) (less known as Theory of Solving Inventors Problems), developed by Genrich Altshuller and his colleagues since 1946. ... Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist, physician, and writer, although it may have been an idea whose time was ready; the notion of lateral truth is discussed by Robert M. Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance from the same era...

Further reading

• Alex Osborn, Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem Solving, Creative Education Foundation Press, 1953/2001, ISBN 0-930222-73-3
• Daniel Goleman, Paul Kaufman and Michael Ray, The Creative Spirit: Companion to the PBS Television Series, Dutton, 1992, hardcover, 185 pages, ISBN 0-525-93354-9
• Edward de Bono, Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step, Harper & Row, 1973, trade paperback, 300 pages, ISBN 0-06-090325-2
• Altshuller, Henry. 1994. The Art of Inventing (And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared). Translated by Lev Shulyak. Worcester, MA: Technical Innovation Center. ISBN 0-9640740-1-X
• Kris Bordessa, Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation, Communication and Creativity (Zephyr Press, 2006)

Alex Faickney Osborn (August 5, 1886 Bronx in New York City – July 5, 1967 (or May 15, 1966 ?)) the author of creativity technique named brainstorming. ... Edward de Bono (born May 19, 1933) is a psychologist and physician. ...

External links

• Creative Education Foundation
• Creative Problem Solving Institute
• A framework of techniques for creative problem solving
• The solution of a combinatorial problem
• International Center for Studies in Creativity
• Includes a list of techniques for creative problem solving